Re: Re: WORLD'S BEST GIFT CARD for the teacher!

[Guest guest]

tracy,

this is something that most of us deal with.  we want to show appreciation but

don't

have the $ to put out for all these people.  the best gift i had given was a

card with a

note inside telling them that we really appreciate them and how grateful we are

to have

them in our lives.  I too felt bad, but, when one of them called and said I had

them in tears

i knew the spirit of the holidays was swirling around us.  One therapist even

said she was burnt

out at that point and that my card and note was what got her going again.  who

knew something so

simple could make such an impact.

I love to bake so i put a few homemade goodies in with a card and call it a

day!  Now i never feel

ashamed that I haven't the money to spend on them.  Words are all it takes. 

Even during the year,

i make sure to tell people we appreciate and value them.

happy holidays,

sandy

________________________________

From: Tracey <traceyd717@...>

Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 1:17:15 AM

Subject: [ ] Re: " WORLD'S BEST GIFT CARD " for the teacher!

While I agree in principle that gift cards for teachers are a great

gift idea, in reality (at least for me), it's not something I can do.

All together, there are 20 people (between school, home therapists,

bus drivers and matrons-not including the students in his class)who

provide exceptional service to my autistic toddler. We are seriously

financially stretched and cannot afford the expense of gift cards. (I

would feel embarrassed to give a $5 or $10 gift card to one of his

providers as we live in an area where most people are financially well

off and I'm sure they spend a considerable amount of money at holiday

time). In my case, it's the thought that counts and I put a lot of

effort in to finding inexpensive yet thoughtful gifts that I give to

his teachers and aides. I'm ashamed that I cannot provide presents

that truly reflect how grateful I am for the love and dedication they

show my child, and I hope they can read between the lines and

understand that my " cheap " gift is not meant to be demeaning. It's

difficult to be poor, and even harder at this time of year, especially

when many of his classmates are from affluent families.

I didn't mean for this comment to be a criticism,I just felt that I

had to speak out for those of us who are struggling.

Happy Holidays.

__________________________________________________________________

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[Guest guest]

hi,

 

I have to chime here also. I am totally financially strapped for christmas this

year also. It is a real struggle to be poor in this country. I am also poor too.

I know what it is like. If I can afford to give my son presents I will be

fortunate. I think that the expense of gift cards is expensive and a genrous

thought. However $30. 00 a gift card is outrageous especially since these are

for people who earn good wages already. I will not be giving a teacher gifts

this year, In fact they are very discougred by my sons public school system. In

fact they do not hol;d school christmas parties except to have a small party

that is just food nothing else. No gift exchanges. I live in a poor city that

has experienced several of our huge wood paper mills closing for good. 

 

I also envy everyone here on the list who a fortunate enough to be able to

afford nintendo WII for their children. I would of loved to have bought for my

son . It would of been the best therapy tool for  him. But I can not afford it

financially. Not even close to having the money for it. As it stands now I rely

on my local school district to provide all his therapies. I have no private

insurance at all to cover it. Just my two cents. Sense no one on this board

talks much about the real world of affording all this great therapy stuff. In

case anyone says to seek outside help to cover therapies. I do not qualify for

any of them. I also have tried to get medicaid to cover private PT since school

will not provide it. They refused to since the school should be providing but

they say he does not qualify. No insults or crititisms were meant. I just wanted

to let everyone know that there are thers out here with the same types of

struggles with money.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Jeanne

NH

From: Tracey <traceyd717@...>

Subject: [ ] Re: " WORLD'S BEST GIFT CARD " for the teacher!

Date: Monday, December 15, 2008, 1:17 AM

While I agree in principle that gift cards for teachers are a great

gift idea, in reality (at least for me), it's not something I can do.

All together, there are 20 people (between school, home therapists,

bus drivers and matrons-not including the students in his class)who

provide exceptional service to my autistic toddler. We are seriously

financially stretched and cannot afford the expense of gift cards. (I

would feel embarrassed to give a $5 or $10 gift card to one of his

providers as we live in an area where most people are financially well

off and I'm sure they spend a considerable amount of money at holiday

time). In my case, it's the thought that counts and I put a lot of

effort in to finding inexpensive yet thoughtful gifts that I give to

his teachers and aides. I'm ashamed that I cannot provide presents

that truly reflect how grateful I am for the love and dedication they

show my child, and I hope they can read between the lines and

understand that my " cheap " gift is not meant to be demeaning. It's

difficult to be poor, and even harder at this time of year, especially

when many of his classmates are from affluent families.

I didn't mean for this comment to be a criticism,I just felt that I

had to speak out for those of us who are struggling.

Happy Holidays.

[Guest guest]

Gosh, from someone who doesn't post often, I want to respond to so many

today but am rushed for time!!

In regards to teacher's gifts, I was horrified from the post of

teacher's comparing gifts - I just don't think that is all that common

no matter what anyone else says!! LOL

I taught public-school kindergarten in a very low income school and a

gift was the exception rather than the rule. Another school in our

system had mostly high income students and yes those teachers really

racked up, but that was just the way it was. I wouldn't have wanted

their gifts in exchange for all the flack they dealt with on a day to

day basis from some very spoiled children

and the Moms who spent their days on the tennis courts, etc. exchanging

all their opinions!

My low income parents were just a whole different dynamic and I spent as

much time teaching them as I did their children, but it was so rewarding.

Back to the gifts! I can say in all honesty that although I

appreciated the thought, after my first year of teaching I did hate to

get any kind of mug because I hated not to have them out somewhere and

I had so many. Most people have a favorite travel mug. Even at my

school, we were given mugs by banks, businesses, and often from the kids

at Halloween, Valentines, etc. They accumulate VERY fast!! I agree

with some of the other posters that any kind of food is great. I will

have to say that I got a cupcake once in a bag with a roach that was

bigger than the cupcake! But I have never forgotten that and not

because of the roach but because this was the sweetest mother and she

truly wanted her child to be a success in school. She had green mold

at the tops of her teeth, so you can imagine I would not have eaten the

cupcake anyway, but it was so touching that she made it.

As the poster below said, the one gift that brought me to my knees

almost was from a child who lived in a motel room and it was a

crocheted (sp?) doll dress of some type, maybe knitted, but it was so

filthy and it actually had a pubic hair stuck in it. I don't think

that her mother knew she brought it because she had it down in her

pocket and stammered when I asked if it was OK with her Mom.

It is on my Christmas tree as I type, I washed it and put a hook in it

and every year when I hang it on, it reminds me of how fortunate I am

and how sad Christmas can be from children who don't have anything to

begin with. That little dress came straight from her heart.

I hope I have not offended anyone by anything I have said. Of course I

showed my other K'garten teacher peers the doll dress, we just did

things like that, but it was never to make fun of any child or parent,

it was just affirmation that what we did made a difference and how

precious that a child would want to do that. Yes, I did tell them

about the roach on the cupcake, but every teacher had a student or two

that you would have been afraid to eat what they sent. I mean, if a

child wears the same clothes to school a couple of days in a row that

have been slept in - not had their hair combed or teeth brushed and ears

with enough dirt to grow potatoes in, you wouldn't eat it either, but we

never made fun of the THOUGHT OR THE INTENT.

Everyone is struggling with money. My daughter is an RN and makes good

and she is struggling. I am making the gifts for all of my

Grandaughter's teachers, paras, OT, PT , etc. There are 7

altogether. I am making Hidden Valley Dry Dressing Mix for each of

them. The recipe equals 42 of the small packages and it is wonderful

to have on hand. You can also make dips, sprinkle on hot french fries,

we use it on french bread when we have spaghetti, lasagna, etc. It is

very economical to make.

I hope this post is received in the spirit in which it is being sent!!!

Pam in GA.

Altoonakenton@... wrote:

>

> Some ideas......

> I have given $5.00 gift cards (Dunkin Donuts or Wawa for a coffee)?to

> the crossing guard with a cute mug from the dollar store.? One year a

> friend and I typed out the " Star Polisher " ( little story about what a

> teacher does) and put a pretty border around it and found cute cheap

> frames and gave them as gifts to all of the teachers.? I even have one

> hanging in my class.? I love getting a thank you note from a parent!?

> I don't know of any teachers in my building that compare gifts.? I

> have even gotten used toys from students.? How touching is that !!!?

> One year it was an old plastic pink piggy bank.? I will never forget

> it....only because that child gave one of his possessions to me.? I

> think I actually cried...but my Kindergartners do that to me!?

> Homemade cookies are great since I have no time to bake and actually

> don't enjoy it, therefore am not good at it!? I have gotten cookies on

> Xmas paper plates and dollar store cute plastic trays. My own kids'

> classes always seem to collect $5.00 from every child and then the

> class mom/dad buys a gift card from the class--it is always signed

> from everyone even if a child did not send in the money--which my

> twins have done on more than one occasion because they were too shy to

> hand the money in!

> The Star Polisher

>

> I have a great job in the universe of occupations. What do I do? I'm a

> " star polisher " .

>

> It is a very important job. If you want to know how important, just go

> out at night and look at the stars twinkling and sparkling.

>

> You see, I'm a teacher. The stars are the Children in my class. My job

> is to take them in-in whatever shape they come- and shine and buff

> them and then send them out to take their places as bright little

> twinkling beacons in the sky.

>

> They come into my room in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they're

> bent, tarnished, dirty, crinkly, and broken. Some stars are cuddly,

> soft, and sweet. Some stars are prickly and thorny.

>

> As I buff, polish, train and teach my little stars, I tell them that

> the world cannot do without them. I tell them they can do anything

> they set their minds to do. I tell them they can be the brightest,

> shiniest stars in the sky and the world will be a better place because

> of them.

>

> Each night as I look at the sky, I'm reminded of my very important job

> and awesome responsibility. I go and get my soft buffing cloth and my

> bottle of polish in preparation for tomorrow and for my class of

> little stars.

>

> by Leah Becks

>

> kathy

> http://www.shoptobeheard.com <http://www.shoptobeheard.com>

>

>